Quotes from John Maxwell

A strong positive self image is the best possible preparation for success in life.

Life means risk. People who sabotage themselves shouldn't worry about failure as much as they should be concerned about the chances they miss when they don't even try. Speech writer Charles Parnell observed, "Too many people are having what might be called 'near-life experiences.' They go through life bunting, so afraid of failure that they never try to win the big prizes, never knowing the thrill of hitting a home run or even taking a swing at one.

two things are responsible for making leadership rise? The first is competence. No one wants to follow an incompetent leader. The second is values. Values are principles that guide your decisions and behaviors.

You are out of your comfort zone: Growth requires risk. Ronald E. Osborne stated, "Unless you do something beyond what you've already mastered, you will never grow.

Those who fly always first get out on the edge. If you want to seize an opportunity, you must take a risk. If you want to grow, you must make mistakes. If you want to reach your potential, you will have to take chances. If you don't, you will be resigned to a life of mediocrity. The people who don't make mistakes end up working for those who do. And in the end, they often end up regretting the safe life they lived. —

It takes quantity as well as quality to develop warm and caring relationships.

There is a willingness to change: Clayton G. Orcutt declared, "Change itself is not progress, but change is the price that we pay for progress.

When you are able to create a lonely place in the middle of your actions and concerns, your successes and failures slowly can lose some of their power over you.

At least once a year I'd ask Steve to point out anything he thought I was doing that was wrong or weaknesses in my leadership that he believed might have me headed for trouble. After a couple of years of this, Steve once said, 'John, you are the most successful person I work with, yet you are the only one who invites critism. Why?' I don't trust anyone with power that can't be checked, I answered. Especially me.

How do I fit in my area or department? • How do all the departments fit into the organization? • Where does our organization fit in the market? • How is our market related to other industries and the economy?

No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you're playing a solo game, you'll always lose out to a team.

ARE YOU STRIVING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, OR HAVE YOU BEEN COASTING?